The Text Neck Epidemic Part II: Finding Solutions
- Dr. Vanessa Ng
- Nov 28, 2018
- 5 min read
The Text Neck epidemic is here to stay and it's only getting worse. As outlined in Part 1, we need to start recognizing which areas of our lives we're putting ourselves in these postures.
So, while we may not be able to completely abandon modernity or ignore our kids, we can make steps to mitigate and reduce the time spent in these vulnerable positions. So let's take a look at what we can do.
1. Using your phone/reading a book/studying
The simplest solution for the phone is just to prop up one arm with the other as shown in the picture above. Bring one arm to hug yourself across the body and prop your other arm (holding the phone) at the elbow so you're holding the phone upwards at eye level. If your arm gets tired switch to the other side. Also keep in mind not to stick out your belly in this position (creating an anterior pelvic tilt!). Secondly, get in the habit of using the full range of motion of your eyes! Drop your eyes down to look at the screen rather than flexing your entire head down. Thirdly, if you're lucky enough to get a seat or stand with back against the wall, it's a nice cue to remember this posture by keeping the back of your head touching the wall over time. If you still feel your head drooping forward or your arms dropping down, put down the phone, bring your head back up and give yourself a 3 minute break. That email can wait just a few more moments. Give your body and your postural muscles a chance to reset and recuperate. Even those few minutes can make a huge difference.
Other options around the house or at work include using a cell phone holder along the lines of a flexible clamp like this, or if you're not easily embarrassed, something like this.
Books, while a bit heavier, tend to be used at a desk or at home, which gives you a nice option of getting a document holder or stand that props the book up for you. Setting it up at an elevated height (whether that means on top of a stack of books or on a shelf), will also help bring that into the optimal range. Holding the book up by propping your elbows up on a sufficiently high table is another option.
2. Using a laptop
Addressing ergonomics is in itself another huge issue, and one I will delve into slowly in the future. The laptop is, in itself, an ergonomic nightmare simply because, in the name of portability and convenience, the keyboard and monitor are inseparable. This configuration necessitates either excessive forward head flexion or an elevated arm position, depending on the table height.
So if you're using your laptop in a place where you can be relatively stationary, purchase an additional portable keyboard to use so you can physically separate the monitor and keyboard. Many portable Wifi or Bluetooth enabled keyboards exist now that make this an inexpensive and viable option.
The laptop can then be elevated to as close to eye level as possible (ideally the top 25% of the screen will be at direct eye level), and the separate keyboard should be placed on the table, as close to belly button height as possible. For more permanent situations, you can purchase laptop stands for elevation.
Happily, newer tablet computers have the advantage of being able to separate, so no additional purchases are required, though understanding and managing your set-up is still necessary.
3. Cooking
While it may be a bit of a hassle, you can try to create a seated situation for prep work, either bringing in a tall stool for high counters, or moving some of the cutting or prepping to the kitchen table. Cooking on a stovetop is unfortunately not as easily managed, so frequent short breaks to stretch and open up the chest to reverse the constant neck flexion will help alleviate the pain.
4. Slouched sitting
Soft couches at home without adequate back support are a common cause of reinforcing poor posture over long periods. Another is the extended time spent in office chairs without having the chance to move. As time goes on, your neck will extend out further and further as your lower and upper back become more and more "C" shaped. (Do you ever get to the point of propping up your chin over your desk with one hand? Check how far your neck is extended in this position!)
Selecting a seating arrangement that enables your knees to be level with your hips, feet flat on the ground, backrest at 90 degrees or a little further back, with mild lumbar support is your best option. Your lower back should be between straight and slightly arched. Since the spine is affected as a whole, the correct positioning of your lower back will enable your upper back to straighten up, placing proper weight distribution down the spinal column. This in turn will affect your neck, allowing you to pull your head back such that the weight of your head can be distributed properly again down the vertebra of your neck, rather than in front of your shoulders (causing strain on the neck, upper back and traps).
5. Parenting
Unfortunately children are tiny humans, so we're forced to look downwards when dealing with them, a problem likely felt more acutely by parents of toddlers or nursing mothers. Again, these situations cannot be completely foregone, but it is good to recognize that there are some alternatives.
Nursing mothers can use the side-lying method to feed their little one. In this position, flexing the head forward to check on baby is not putting excessive pressure on the neck or upper back. Playing with the kids will be easier if you can get down to their level more often than not. Take a little break (if you can!) to give yourself 30 seconds to stretch that neck and upper back (coming in Part III) when the kids are napping. Try to do this especially after activities that may require a longer period of leaning and reaching over, such as changing a diaper, washing a toddler in the tub, or getting a fussy baby back to sleep in a crib. Anything is better than nothing!
While some activities are harder to change, such as those associated with parenting, others, like your posture and habits at work, your commute or your leisure time, specifically while using technology, can be changed. So make the changes where the effect will be the greatest (ie. the 8 hours sitting in an office cubicle may be a good start). Recognize that these small changes can mean preventing more serious, longer lasting and harder to manage conditions.
Have you found any success with these changes?
Now that we've established that we can make changes in our environments, stay tuned for Part III where we'll go over a few stretches we can ourselves to relieve the symptoms of text neck.
